Life: Speaking of Catholics

Today John Dunleavy, organizer of the Manhattan’s St. Patrick’s Day parade kindly compared Gays and Lesbians with Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan. This is his reasoning for excluding the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization (ILGO) from joining their fellow countrymen in the yearly parade. In a lovely article from four years ago, it mentions that the mayor joined the ILGO in their inaugural march along the parade route. Mostly jeered by onlookers, the mayor was even nearly hit in the head by a beer can. The mayor compared it with marching in Birmingham, Alabama in a Civil Rights March.

There is no comparison between Gay and Lesbian groups and hate groups like the Nazi party and the Ku Klux Klan. As the mayor’s comparison illuminates, the situation is quite the opposite and Mr. Dunleavy (with his vipor’s tongue), the Catholic Church, and the Irish turn out being more similar to those despicable hate groups. Gays and Lesbians don’t want to destroy Catholicism or Irish heritage. In fact, many want nothing more than to be a part of their religion and heritage. A true Christian (one following the words and deeds of Jesus) would extend his hand and love to all.

And on a lighter note, some broader thoughts on Catholicism in the modern day:

On the one hand, I do keep rejoicing when I here progressive statements from Catholics, like

• “women are people too (1924),”
  
• “it’s ok for the Bible to be taught in English (1964),” and
  
• “Galileo was right, the earth does move (1992).”

At least we can say that the church is always prudent, no rash shifts in course here. But, being young and impatient as I sometimes am, I feel that the church could be moving forward just a bit more quickly. And, as I am a member of the Catholic Church (I was baptized and never officially petitioned to have my name removed from their list, nor have I been notified of any official removal), I feel the duty to make a couple suggestions on this, my 25th St. Patty’s Day:

1. Allow women to reach all levels/offices of the church: why not?
   
2. Actually deal with those who molest: shifting them around, paying off victims, and kicking homosexuals out of seminary isn’t going to solve the problem.
   
3. Allow condom use by Catholics in AIDs-torn Africa: Hell, don’t just allow it, PROMOTE IT! Those who are alive because they don’t have AIDS in 30 years will thank you for it.
   
4. Publicly and vocally denounce guys like Dunleavy: kick him out of the church, burn him in effigy (it’ll be like the good ol’ days, only, I repeat, just in effigy).
   

Well I could suggest more, but I feel my duty as a Catholic is sated for the time being.

Oh, but one duty awaits, a duty no Catholic may set aside on this, the holiest of holy days, this St. Patrick’s Day: and that duty you know, you know well. It is a duty seen in the Green River of Chicago and the men in skirts kilts across the world. Well… I’ll quit blatherin’ on here and get to it.